Disclaimer: Characters belong to J.K. Rolling. I only own the story line and the OC in this story.
The Slytherin Muggleborn
Daphne Greengrass sat there eating her meal at the Slytherin table. It was the first night back and her third year at Hogwarts. Glancing around she observed the different groups at Slytherin table.
There were the Quidditch nuts consisting of Draco Malfoy, Marcus Flint, Adrien Pucey, Miles Bletchly and Graham Montague. It seems they were arguing about the teams who played during the summer.
There were the intellect members like Theo Nott and Cassius Warrington who were discussing a new potion that came out.
There were the fashionista girls whose only worry is keeping up with the newest fashion trend. Pansy Parkinson was leading the group with several other girls hanging off Pansy's every word about fashion in Paris.
Everyone had a place in their house.
Daphne's eyes landed on the one member who did not fit in with anyone in the house, Abigail Jones. The only muggleborn ever placed in Slytherin house. She was bullied by purebloods who felt it was their right. Abigail had learned to have a sharp tongue, a tough shell and a fully stocked range of spells to use if her sharp tongue didn't send the bully running.
Daphne frowned as she looked at the girl's outer appearance. Jones was extremely pale, and her hair was greasy. The uniform she was wearing looked worn and not entirely clean. Her hands shook as she pushed her food around her plate with her fork but not really eating the food. The pureblood girl's eyes narrowed as Jones's sleeve fell down showing a bruising handprint on her arm that looked like it was getting darker.
Jones pulled the sleeve down and pushed her plate away before laying her head down on the table. She didn't appear to be paying attention to anyone around her.
"Daphne, you ok?" Her best friend, Tracy Davis asked with concern.
Daphne smiled at the girl, "Of course. Never better."
The two girls got into a discussion of their schedules and what their new electives would be with excitement.
SLYTHRIN COMMON ROOM
Daphne and Tracy were sitting there looking in their Ancient Ruins textbook at some of the chapters when they heard Draco Malfoy's voice.
"Well look who decided to return to Hogwarts? Little Miss. Mudblood." Draco said with a sneer.
Daphne looked up and glanced at the entrance. In walked Abigail Jones with her head down walking right past Malfoy as if he didn't exist.
Malfoy frowned and turned watching the girl while yelling, "You think you can ignore me, mudblood? I'm better than you. You shouldn't even be in our glorious house."
Jones continued walking as if she didn't hear a word disappearing downstairs to the dorms.
Malfoy huffed and flopped on the couch by Pansy. "Stupid Mudblood."
Daphne frowned but did not get up. Jones would have usually made a comment about Malfoy to make him go red and threaten the girl with his father. She had never ignored him. It was out of character for the muggleborn.
Later that night, the other Slytherin girls went upstairs to get ready for bed. Daphne glanced at Jones's bed to see the curtains drawn. She thought about checking on the girl but decided not to. It would not be good to make others think she liked muggleborn students.
The next morning all the Slytherin girls were up and dressed for breakfast and the first day of classes. It was required that Slytherin house went to the breakfast meal together.
"Let's go already. I want to see Draco." Pansy whined.
"We're coming Pansy." Tracy said with a huff.
Daphne started to follow when she stopped to stare at Jones's bed. It didn't look like it had changed since last night.
"Did Jones go downstairs?" she asked in confusion.
"Who cares about the mudblood?" Pansy said in a huff.
Daphne rolled her eyes. "We are required to go down together. I would like to be on time."
The girl walked over and pulled Jones's curtains apart to see the girl lying on the bed not moving. It looked like she was still sleeping.
Daphne frowned as she noticed several bruises that appeared up and down the muggleborn's arms. The pureblood licked her lips before addressing the muggleborn.
"Jones, get up. You are going to make us late for breakfast." Daphne said annoyed.
Jones never moved.
Daphne glanced at the other girls who were all frowning. She reached out and put a hand on her arm to shake the girl. Her eyes widened in shock. The third year quickly reached out with her other hand and shook the girl.
"Jones. Jones. Wake up." Daphne called franticly. "WAKE UP."
Jones never opened her eyes or responded to Daphne shaking her body.
"Daphne, what's wrong?" Tracy said in concern. The other girls looked baffled at the usually calm ice princess acting like a frantic Gryffindor.
Daphne quickly turned to the others in panic. "GO GET PROFESSOR SNAPE. NOW. SOMETHING IS WRONG. I CAN'T WAKE HER UP. HER SKIN IS TOO COLD TO BE NORMAL. HURRY."
The other girls' eyes widened in shock as Tracy ran out of the room.
A few minutes later, Professor Snape and Madam Pomfrey ran in. Prefect Evangaline Billow came in and beckoned the first years.
"Down to the common room. Let them work." Evangaline said with a concerned glance at the bed.
The girls moved to the door to head to the common room. Daphne glanced behind her back and into the room. Before Prefect Evangaline shut the door, Daphne's eyes widened to see the back of Jones's blue night shirt. It had a dark red spot that covered the entire back of the shirt.
"What's going on?" Malfoy asked in confusion.
"Jones won't wake up." Pansy said in shock taking a seat by the boy.
Soon the whole house knew something was wrong with the muggleborn Slytherin.
Everyone's eyes turned to the stairs as Madam Pomfrey floated the muggleborn down and to the fireplace with Professor Snape right behind them. The girl was wrapped in her blanket from the bed. She was a pale pasty white.
Professor Snape tapped the fireplace and pulled out a bag offering it to the healer. She quickly stepped in and pulled the muggleborn to her.
Madam Pomfrey dropped green powder into the fire and yelled out, "St. Mungo's."
With a woosh, the two disappeared.
Professor Snape turned to his students. "Miss. Billow. Mr. Liven. Pass the class schedules out to the students and take them to breakfast. Miss. Billow, place this sign on the potion's door. Those who have potions today, your assignment is to review the first chapter and write a 3-foot paper on the way the potion can help or hurt someone."
With a wave of his hand a pile of papers sat on one table and a note stating potions class was canceled for the day along with what students should do for the next potions class was on another table.
Professor Snape quickly went to the fireplace and vanished to St. Mungo's. The students glanced a each other in shock before schedules were given out and they all walked to breakfast.
No one saw Professor Snape or Madam Pomfrey all day. It was also noted that Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall were gone as well.
THE NEXT DAY
The Slytherin students were gathered in the common room to go to breakfast together when the door opened. Everyone looked over to see Professor Snape walk in.
Daphne frowned when Jones did not follow him into the common room.
The man glanced around the room staring at the students gathered there before turning to the 7th year Prefects who gathered around him. "Is everyone here?"
The prefects frowned at each other before Prefect Liven said, "Yes professor. Everyone is here."
Professor Snape nodded his head before turning to the students. "Classes are canceled for the day."
The Slytherins frowned looking at each other before Malfoy piped up.
"Why?" Malfoy said with a sneer.
Professor Snape flashed a glare at the boy before sighing and waved his wand producing a chair. The man sat down and rubbed the bridge of his nose with one hand.
"Everyone, sit down." He ordered.
The older students took the chairs and couches while the younger years sat on the ground around their head of house.
Once everyone quietened down, Snape began speaking. "Muggleborn Slytherin student, Abigail Jones is dead. She passed away at 3:35 this morning from her injuries."
The students stared at their professor in shock before a sixth-year student yelled out, "How did she die? We just go here."
Professor Snape sighed. "There is something you all need to understand. Some muggles are not thrilled when they learn their child is magical. Miss. Jones is one example. Your housemate died from injuries she suffered from her muggle home in response of her having magic. Unfortunately, we were too late to save her. Her muggle father and mother have been arrested by aurors this morning and will face trial for the murder of a magical child as well as abuse of three other magical children who resided in the home. Miss. Jones's 3 younger siblings are being housed at St. Mungo's for medical treatment for abuse. They will remain there until a decision has been decided on where they will go. Headmaster Dumbledore will be making an announcement this morning to the school about Miss. Jones's death. The Auror Department, Magical Child Services, St. Mungo's and the Hogwarts School Board will be meeting to see how this could have been missed as well as try and come up with a way to find out if others are being abused before it's too late."
It was dead silent in the common room as the Slytherin students glanced at each other and their professor in shock and horror.
Daphne frowned and raised her hand. "Professor, how could this have happened? Jones had a wand. Why didn't she defend herself?"
Professor Snape looked at Daphne. "It's hard to use a wand that is taken at the start of every summer and locked away. There is also the fact we tell muggleborns they are not allowed to use their wands during the summer or they will be expelled. To some, the threat of expulsion from the wizarding world is more terrifying than dealing with the abuse."
The girl looked down at her hands in anger. Malfoy was staring at his hands in confusion. The thought running through everyone's head was the last time they had seen the muggleborn witch alive.
Professor Snape looked around at the students especially the older ones. "I do not care what you felt about having a muggleborn in our house. A magical child has been murdered by muggles. 3 younger magical children are in St. Mungo's for medical treatment from abuse by muggles. These are the only things you should care about. I expect you to be on your best behavior whether you like muggleborns or not when the announcement is made. The entire school will all be watching us to see how we react to the death of this muggleborn. Remember this, she never asked for magic but she paid the ultimate price for it. Miss. Jones deserves the respect and acknowledgement of being a witch especially as she died in such a tragic way for the crime of having magic. "
The man stood and vanished the chair with a swish of his wand. "Let's go to breakfast."
The Slytherins rose and followed their head of house out of the room and to the great hall.
Daphne glanced around as Headmaster Dumbledore told the other three houses of Abigail Jones's death. The whispers and sound of crying came from different students all over the great hall including the staff table. Hagrid and Professor Sprout were openly weeping while Professor McGonagall was staring hard at her hands with tears falling down her face. Professor Flitwick was clenching his hands in anger while glaring at the wall while Professor Snape was glaring at Headmaster Dumbledore. The other professors appeared to be sad about the event.
The Slytherins stayed quiet showing a united front to the rest of the school. The only thought in all of the Slytherin students' minds was how no one realized what was going on with this muggleborn and how many other muggleborns were punished for having magic.
Three weeks later, 14 students from first year to seventh year were removed from their homes and moved into the new magical orphanage, Merlin's Home for Magical Children. Several children who had siblings in Hogwarts joined their siblings in the new children's home. It came out during the investigation that several muggleborns from the past and the future generations who were listed in the Hogwarts book of registration never even made it to Hogwarts or would never make it to Hogwarts because they died in mysterious deaths. The biggest shock came when the boy who lived became a member of the home despite Headmaster Dumbledore's attempt to keep him with his relatives. It questioned everything the purebloods learned from childhood about Harry Potter, muggleborn and muggle raised students.
The one thought a lot of purebloods were thinking was maybe those raised in the muggle world were in grave danger. Maybe muggles were more dangerous than what they were led to believe.